The Star-Bound Alliance
by C.M.LadyFowl
Summary: What if Sarah made a choice she would later come to regret? Can one simple wish change the fate of the Underground and its King forever? And most of all; would Sarah be willing to make sacrifices in order to save her precious Labyrinth? STORY ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Sarah leaned back in her chair, allowing herself a moment's break. She had been working on an especially hard piece of her new article for the local newspaper... the one she was supposed to have handed in to her boss_ three days_ ago. Her eyes were tired from staring at the computer screen for the past seven hours and her head felt heavy, forecasting a major headache. She looked back at the unfinished article, then at the clock that hung above her desk. It was already past eight pm. and she was far from finished with this piece of writing. Sarah moaned, closing her eyes, trying in vain to shut out the rising irritation.

_Why in the world did I choose to study journalism in the first place?_

_'Well, that's easy'_ her conscience smiled wryly. _'You wanted to search for the truth, didn't you?'_

_Yes..._ Sarah sighed, opening her eyes again just to be met with the soft, white glow of her computer screen. When did her greatest dream become just a simple source of income? When did the pleasure she derived from knitting the words into an intricate pattern disappear? Yes, uncovering the truth had been her main aim, ever since... ever since she realized fiction held too many secrets for her to bear. Too many connections to her childhood adventures...

_But apparently truth is not what most people want, is it?_ She thought sourly, saving the unfinished document and turning off her computer. _I wouldn't have gotten any further today in any case..._

While taking her four empty coffee cups to the kitchen, she took a glance at the small mirror hanging in the hall. Other than her pale, evidently tired face, she saw a yellow note stuck in the corner. It said:

I bet you forgot. Be at '_Marcello's_' at 8.30 pm. Got us a table so try not to be late.

- J.

"Is it really _today_?" Sarah murmured after re-reading the note three times. Could she really have forgotten about her own birthday?

She sighed, plucking the note from the frame and looking at the back.

PS: Your dress is in my room. And you're welcome.

Sarah could only shake her head resignedly and murmur: "What the heck are you scheming this time, Jess...?"

Fifteen minutes later she stood at the doorstep of a tall, glass-paneled building, feeling slightly intimidated. Her headache was getting worse by the minute, evolving into a slow thrum at the back of her skull. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the evening with her a-bit-too-loud friend. To tell the truth, Sarah desired nothing more than to shed the red dress Jess had given her and burrow into the safety of her bed.

The neon sign above the entrance shone with an irritating orange glow and there was the unmistakable sound of music coming from the inside.

_It's just another surprise birthday party. Just another surprise party..._

Sarah took a deep, steadying breath.

_All right, here we go..._

The moment she pushed the doors open, everything inside the restaurant went silent. And then...

"Happy Birthday!" everyone yelled, jumping out of their hiding places as all the lights came back on.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the bright light and the deafening sounds of whistles and toy-trumpets, she realized the whole place was literally _packed_. There were mostly people from her campus: some of them were her friends or at least acquaintances, but the rest Sarah had never seen before in her life. The ones standing closest to her were holding a banner with the words '_All the best, 21!_' written on it with big, fluorescent letters. She thought she recognized one of the men holding it as her mailman's son.

"Thanks you guys!" she exclaimed with feigned amazement, putting on the most surprised expression she could muster.

A second later she was pulled/ pushed into the crowd of people, and the noisy music was turned back on. Everyone seemed to be congratulating her, hugging her and talking to several other people, all at the same time. Sarah gritted her teeth and patiently endured most of the dreadful ceremony, after which her dress was wrinkled from top to bottom and her hair hung loose in some places, where the pins had been dislocated. At last she spotted Jess, standing by the cocktail bar, talking to some tall guys.

"There you are, Birthday Girl!" she shouted excitedly when Sarah managed to push through the crowd. "Hey, I want you to meet Brian, he is the-"

"Jessie, please, can I talk to you, outside?" Sarah interrupted, feeling as if her head was going to explode from the noise and the flashing lights.

Her roommate's smile turned into a pout in mere seconds.

"Don't you like my surprise?"

"No, no, of course I do! I just want to get some fresh air that's all..."

"Nah, you don't need fresh air" Jessie tutted, forcing a bottle of beer into Sarah's hand. "You, girl, just need a drink."

"No, I really think I'd better-"

"Stephen, there you are! I've been looking for you!" Jessie's voice drowned out her plea.

'Stephen' appeared from out of nowhere; just another tall blonde with sky-blue eyes. If not for the increasing feeling of nausea and the mind-numbing headache, Sarah might've even thought him somewhat handsome.

"Sarah, this is Stephen, Stephen, Sarah..." _Why is Jessie smiling like an idiot? _ Sarah managed a weak smile and a short 'Nice to meet you' in the general direction of the man. _Damn, pull yourself together Sarah Williams!_

"Nice to meet you" she repeated, louder this time. "Are you a friend of Jessie's?"

"Kinda. We're sorta more like cousins. I'm from outta town."

"Oh?"

"Yea, I live closer to the city, cause it's closer to work and..." But Sarah has stopped listening.

The flashing lights, the loud, booming music and the dizzying smell of perfume mixed with alcohol had been too much for her to bear after a hard day's work. _It's not for me, not for me... I don't belong here..._

"Excuse me..." she said weakly and started to frantically push through the crowd, further and further from the maddening noise, until she had reached the exit.

The breath of cold night air felt like heaven. Sarah reveled in the relative silence of the street, trying to suppress the desperate need to shout at something. Her head felt like it was being split in two, and her legs were beginning to shake, threatening to buckle under her weight. _This is not where I belong..._

"Sarah!" Jess's voice sounded from behind her, harsh and irritated. "Sarah, what was that supposed to be? You just ran out on Stephen Boyd, the _handsomest_,_ hunkiest_ of all-"

"I don't _care_, Jessica!"

Her words came as a surprise to both of them. Sarah knew she was hurting her friend, but she couldn't help herself. There were boundaries to what a person could suffer, and this day surpassed them all.

"I don't care about Stephen, I don't care about his work, and most of all _I don't care about this idiotic part__y!_" she yelled, on the verge of tears. "I just... don't... care..."

With that, she turned on her heel and ran, leaving her friend in the state of complete and utter shock.

'_Sarah Williams** never** yells at people_' Her inner voice tutted reprovingly.

"Please stop!" the girl ordered in response, not looking where she was going; just trying to get away, away from it all.

'_No, Sarah Williams would never, **ever** lose her temper_' the voice mocked, louder this time.

"Shut up!" She whispered weakly, suddenly feeling the absurdity of her situation, which only fueled her determination to run faster.

_Why can't I do anything right?_ She thought bitterly as her strength slowly began to leave her. _Why can't I be normal, like the other girls?_

Before she knew it, Sarah was standing before the door of her dorm, breathing heavily. With the last shreds of self-control, she managed to climb the stairs and enter her apartment before sinking to her knees on the floor. Tears fell freely from her eyes, and she had no willpower left to curb her emotions anymore.

"Why can't I stop?" she breathed, hiding her face in her palms. "Why do I have to keep on running..."

Wishing for at least a bit of comfort, she got up and somehow got to her room. Sarah fell on her soft bed and curled up into a ball, choking back soft sobs.

"Why do I not... belong..."

Tears rolled down her cheeks, getting lost in the tangles of her ebony-black hair. She no longer cared about the world around her. At the same time she wished to be alone and to have someone comfort her; someone strong, much stronger than her, someone who would've been able to protect her from the outside world.

The words came before she could think twice:

"Take me away from here... _please_... somewhere far away..."

There was a moment of silence, interrupted only by Sarah's muffled sobs. And then it came, like a soft, midnight breeze, gentle but demanding. It could only have been _him_...

**_You know those are not the right words, princess._**

Sarah looked up, but saw no one. Just the pale light of the moon, coming in through the open windows...

"I-I..." the words would not come. The feeling of someone's presence was tangible in the room; so vivid that she felt she could almost see _him_...

"I think I..."

_**No need to think. What do you **_**want**_**, precious girl?**_

Sarah closed her eyes, trying to suppress the shivers running up her spine like bolts of electricity. No, she couldn't... she didn't want... or maybe... there was this dark little corner of her heart, where her love for the Labyrinth had been hidden for the last six years... maybe it was the time to face her dreams?

"I wish..." she began with a trembling voice, so quiet it was barely audible.

"...I wish to return to the Labyrinth."

For a fraction of a second, she thought that nothing would happen, and cursed herself for her childishness.

And then, suddenly she felt her lips tingle with the lightest of kisses imaginable. A warm breath ticked her throat, and the feeling of closeness settled at the surface of her heart like a heaven-light feather.

The world spun, filling with sudden light; It was warm though, and gentle like the kiss with which it began.

"_Jareth_?" she heard herself whispering, her voice oddly distant, echoing around her ever so lightly. "Is it... am I...?"

A soft, deep-throat chuckle came from above her.

"Open your eyes, princess."

* * *

**A/N: So, this is my very first story on FanFiction. Yay! I don't know yet if I'm going to continue, but I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :) What do you think of it so far? Yay or Nay? Reviews and PM's always welcome! ;)**

**Disclaimer: All rights go to Jim Henson. I own absolutely nothing... insert theatrical sigh.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! You guys are awesome! ;) This chapter is a bit shorter, but I just couldn't wait to post the next update for you guys ;) Things'll get cleared up in the next chap I promise! All reviews & PMs are more than welcome. And if you do review, maybe tell me what was your favorite scene from 'The Labyrinth' and why? I'd just love to hear what you think :D**

**Honoria Granger: All in good time, I promise, all in good time... :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth. Jim Henson unfortunately didn't want to share the rights (pout).**

* * *

He was gone the moment Sarah opened her eyes; the only thing left was the faint taste of spiced wine on her lips, and the scent of lilac carried by a soft breeze from the open window.

She lay on a four-poster bed, big enough to sleep in it crosswise and carved out of real mahogany, with silver-trimmed pillows and cream-white bed coverings taking up most of the space - a bed fit for a true queen.

The rest of the room... no, _chamber_ more likely, was furnished in the best - or richest - taste possible. The stone floor was polished to a high shine, resembling the surface of a frozen lake; in the middle, like a square-shaped island, lay a carpet with intricate patterns weaved around the edges. The walls - also made of stone - were mostly covered with tapestries portraying different scenes from what she supposed to be the Labyrinth's history. Her gaze rested for a longer while on the one in the farthest corner of the chamber; it bore no pictures and no patterns, only some kind of inscription in a language she did not know. Tearing her eyes away from the unusual tapestry, she noticed that there was a fireplace on the wall opposite to where the bed stood, carved out of a darker kind of stone and at the moment empty, for the day was warm, and the sun shone with its usual brightness. Several pieces of furniture such as small tables, bookshelves and armchairs padded with green velvet dotted the spacious chamber, making it seem quite comfortable, and almost welcoming. _Almost_.

"Well... I'm back..." she said to no one in particular, giving a long sigh.

She was back in the Labyrinth, the place her heart had yearned for during the last six years. Jareth brought her here according to her wish, just like she wanted... Why then did she feel like something was missing?

Another breath of sweet-smelling wind ruffled the drawn curtains, and for a split second Sarah could see the space where the Goblin City would lay, far below the castle walls. Only that it was not... there.

She rolled off the bed and walked to the window, feeling something akin to unease prickling her skin.

_I've spent seven hours behind a computer. My eyes must be playing tricks on me... _She tried to convince herself as she pulled the curtains open with trembling hands. Her inner voice fell silent the moment she did.

Sarah was met with a sight more terrifying than sheer nothingness: The city below had been turned to ashes.

The fragrant air had suddenly grown cold and bitter. There was no lilac to be found anywhere and no sunshine to light up the ashen skies; it had all been just an illusion.

The crooked-looking houses and fantastical constructions she remembered from her last visit to the Labyrinth were now gone, reduced to pitiful piles of wood and stone. A cloud of sorrow-grey smoke hung low above the streets like an ominous mist, guarding the works of destruction.

Further away loomed the sand-colored walls of the labyrinth, though not left untouched by the general damage. Some parts of the walls were missing, other were formed into twisted, narrow streets, as if the construction itself didn't know which way was which anymore.

But beyond that, beyond the depleted heaps of garbage where the Junk People dwelt, and beyond the remains of the once-magnificent forest, there rose a veil of darkness, churning and swirling high in the heavens like clouds forecasting a great storm.

Sarah's eyes widened with shock at seeing the devastating change in her beloved childhood dream. Pale and speechless, she let go of the curtain, letting it separate her from the outside world. The world that was no longer there.

"What happened here...?" she croaked after a long moment of silence.

One part of her conscience had been stricken numb by the terrible sight, while the other began to put forth most impossible of explanations for the Labyrinth's present state. Though there was also a voice, a very small, obstinate voice, telling her that somehow it was _her_, Sarah, that was responsible for the changes in the underground kingdom. And, as irrational as it sounded, the raven-haired girl knew in her heart of hearts that the small voice was indeed telling the truth.

* * *

Jareth couldn't bring himself to look into the crystal floating in the air before his eyes. The orb shone with pale light amid the darkness of the throne room, making his features seem sharper, and highlighting the shadows behind his irises: The Goblin King was troubled.

Six years he's been waiting for this day. Six long years of planning revenge on the girl who could be the downfall of his kingdom and even himself. The one that possessed his heart and soul, more than he would ever have the courage to admit. And Jareth was no coward.

Low rumbling of the coming storm echoed around the chamber, multiplying a hundredfold, and making the very air tremble. Sarah would've discovered the truth by now.

Jareth rose from his throne and approached the only window, pulling back the black curtains he had ordered to be hung there.

Looking at the miserable state of his domain and trying to think of something that could prevent the impending doom had been his two main occupations during the daytime hours. He ceased to observe the sky at night, since the evening when the stars disappeared behind the great black mist. The next day the sun would not rise, and only a sad, colorless light would remind him of the mercilessly passing time.

Along with the Labyrinth's slow and painful deterioration, the Goblin King began to change as well: He was losing himself bit by bit, every time his eyes would rest on the dying kingdom. No longer could he stand so tall and haughty; no longer did he kick the goblins around, ordering them about and punishing them for no reason. He became more of a ghost than a monarch of flesh and blood, silent and grave as a marble statue.

But with that one wish Sarah made, with that one simple sentence, hope has been kindled anew.

Though he realized that time was of great essence, Jareth also understood that the girl hadn't yet fully grasped the implications of her return to the Underground. As much as it pained him to wait, he had already decided to give her the time to come to terms with the many changes in his kingdom. Though he would not wait long. He wouldn't risk the Labyrinth, not for his life.

"My king?"

Jareth didn't need to turn to see a skinny goblin standing in the doorway.

"My king, I has news..."

"Speak" he ordered, staring past the ashen-grey horizon.

The goblin cleared his throat awkwardly; a sound much resembling the cracking of snapped twigs.

"Lady Deirdre come. She waiting in king's study."

Jareth heaved a silent sigh. _The council_. How could he have forgotten?

"Tell her I'll join her shortly" he said, trying to sound more sure of himself than he felt.

There was a short pause, and then a sound of shuffling of goblin feet.

"There something else..." the creature said quietly, obviously nervous to be the one carrying the news.

"Yes?" Jareth had already turned away from the window and walked up to his throne, when the goblin's words stopped him in his tracks.

"Strange Lady gone from room. We no can find..."


End file.
